Date indicator primarily for use with timepieces



Sept. 28, 1943. T. H. HARRISON 2,330,280

DATE-INDICATOR PRIMARILY FOR USE WITH TIMEPIECES' Filed Oct. 6, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 28, 1943. T. H. HARRISON 2,330,280

DATE-INDICATOR PRIMARILY FOR USE WITH TIMEPIECES Filed Oct. 6, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 28, 1943. T. H. HARRISON 2,330,280

DATE-INDICATOR PRIMARILY FOR USE WITH TIMEPIECES Filed Oct. 6, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 28, 1943 DATE INDICATOR PRIMARILY FOR USE WITH TIMEPIECES Thomas Hills Harrison, Bolsover, near Chesteriield, England Application October 6, 1941, Serial No. 413,873 In Great Britain October 25, 1940 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a new or improved date indicating device which is primarily intended to be driven by any suitable mechanism such as a clock and which is capable of imparting a feeding movement to the indicator mechanism once every twenty-four hours.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device which will indicate at least the date (i. e., the number of the day) and the name of the month, and which is of comparatively simple construction and one in which there is little likelihood of a breakdown. Another object is to provide a device in which the drive is imparted to the mechanism by means of a simple rotary motion, whilst a further object is to provide a device wherein the correct sequence is obtained for thirty-one day months, thirty day months and the twenty-eight day month and further, if desirable for the twenty-nine day month during leap year. The device according to this invention employs parts which can be manufactured by normal engineering processes and which can be produced by usual repetition methods, the said parts being robust and easily assembled.

The objects of the invention are carried into eil'ect by employing a plurality of ring or disc members one for the date change and one for the month change at least being provided. A unidirectional armed rotating member or spider is provided whereby the date change disc moves one step in twenty-four hours, and cam or other se lectively arranged means are provided whereby an arm on the rotating member will move the month dial at the end of a complete sequence of the date disc, the said mechanism including a surplus feed device for skipping unwanted dates at the end of thirty day and twenty-eight day months. Preferably, the selection is achieved by providing a cover or control plate over the discs, which plate is slotted and provided with springy tongues so that the position of the tongues, as determined by the cam or like means, will either maintain the arms from the gaps or allow the said arms to droptherein.

In order that a clear understanding of the invention may be obtained reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a rear view of the mechanism re moved from the usual clock mechanism,

Figure 2 is a front view of the clock face,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the cover or control plate and the spider removed,

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view showing the 7 position of the parts in the surplus feed opening on February 28th non-leap year,

Figure 6 is a view 01' the spider, and

Figure 7 is a view of the control or cover plate.

In all of the figures except Figure 5 the mechanismis in the same position.

The calendar mechanism is housed in a shallow cylindrical housing i which has a central boss 2. The said housing receives four concentric rings 6, I, 8 and 9 and the cover or control plate 3 and the spider 4 are held in position by means of a bossed cover ring 5. The hour spindle Ill of the normal clock drive passes through an aperture in the boss, and it drives through reduction gearing II, the spider, so that the said spider makes one revolution in twenty-four hours. The outer or date ring 6 is guided in the housing by means of a flange 6| which enters a slot in the housing. The rings 1 and 8 are also similarly guided by means of flanges 1|, 8| respectively each of which enters a slot in the housing.

Dealing flrstly with the construction of the rings, the outer ring 6 bears the numerals 1 to 31, equispaced on its front face so that one of said numerals is visible through an arcuate slot I! in the front of the housing I. The said ring has an outer edge or rim portion 62, which has 31 notches 63 formed therein. An inner rim portion 64 is provided on the disc, which portion has one notch therein. Upstanding from the disc is a single pin 66. The next or month dial has three rim portions l2, l3 and II. One of these, e. g., the inner rim portion 14 has twelve equispaced notches formed therein one for each month, eleven of these being of equal depth and being designated as 15 and the other being deeper and being designated as 18. On the other hand, the outer rim portion 12, has five notches l6 corresponding to months with less than thirty-one I days. The rim portion 13 has one notch 11 therein on the same radius as one of the notches 16. This third rim portion I3 and its notch 11 in combination with means later described eilect the surplus feed movement for a normal (twentyeight day) February. The third or leap year ring 8 has an upstanding rim 82 which has twelve notches 83 therein. In the main ring itself, notches B4 are out, these being spaced in groups of three with a plain portion between the groups equal to the space between two notches. This disc is moved one step per annum so that every fourth year a plain portion is in a predetermined position instead of a notch.

The inner or day ring 9 has an upstanding rim 92 which has seven notches 93 therein.

The ring 1 has month indications equispaced on its front face so that one is visible through a slot l3 in the front of the housing. Similarly the ring 8 has in three groups the words Leap year, First after leap, Second after leap and Third after leap thereon, so that one of said indications is visible in the slot M. The ring 9 has the days thereon, one of which is visible in the slot l5.

Mounted over the rings is the cover or control plate 3. This plate has four main slots therein, namely, the date change slot Hi, the day change slot H, the month change slot l8 and the surplus feed slot 9. The spider member 4 which rotates in a clockwise direction (Figure 1), and once in twenty-four hours has four arms 20, 2|, 22 and 23 which have downturned extremities, and which are arranged so that the tongue of the arm 20 can engage in a notch 63 in the slot l6 and so move the date dial one step. To allow for even movement ramps designated generally 24 are provided pressed down from the plate 3. Similarly the arm 23 engages in a notch 93 to move the day disc 9.

In order to allow for the correct chronological sequence, spring tongues are formed from the plate, and these are normally maintained in the general plane of the disc so that the tongues of the arms 2|, 22 are retained from out of the slots. When, however, the spring tongues drop, the arms 2| and 22 drop so that they can effect the surplus feed movement and month change respectively.

Dealing firstly with a normal or thirty-one day month the date and day rings are moved step by step until after the last or thirty-first day. When the arm 2|] engages the notch 63 and changes the date to the first, the single notch 65 is positioned immediately beneath a projection 25 carried by one spring tongue 26 (Figures 1 and '7) so that this tongue by its inherent springiness, drops. The month-change arm 22 will therefore press downwardly sliding down the spring tongue 25 and the tongue of the arm 22 will engage in a notch 15 in the ring 1 and move it one step to change the month. This represents what may be termed a normal change and it occurs in every case just after the date has been changed to the first.

In the case of a thirty-day month the surplus feed mechanism operates. For the date shown (June 30th) one of the five notches 16 is positioned in the opening or slot l9 so that the projection 21 of the spring tongue 28 drops therein resulting in the tongue 28 dropping downwardly. Another spring tongue 29 for all months except February rides on the rim l3 and when the arm 2| is positioned so that its downward tongue is in the slot the said tongue rides on the tongue 29 until it rides down the curved end thereof, thus riding on the tongue 28 so that the end of the arm engages the pin 66. The following movement moves the date dial one day, i. e., to the thirty-first and this is immediately followed by the arm 20 entering the slot l6 and so effecting the normal change.

The case of a normal February is illustrated in Figure 5. The month ring I is positioned so that both of the tongues 28 and 29 press downwardly the gaps 16, 11 being in the position shown. Further another spring tongue 30 has, by its extremity, dropped into one of the slots 84 in the leap year ring 8. 0n the twenty-eighth 1 day of February the pin86 is in the position shown, and when the arm 2| reaches the surplus feed slot IS the said arm will slide down the inward ramp 24, as none of the three tongues is in a position to hold it in the plane of the plate 3, and its downturned end will pick up the pin 66 and carry it until the arm rides up the outward ramp 24. The date will now be at the thirty-first and the arm 20 follows to effect the normal change.

The extra day for leap year is inserted in February by means of the ring 8 and the tongue 30. Every fourth or leap year, the tongue will be riding on a plain or untoothed portion of the ring 8 so that the said tongue will keep the arm 2| on the surface of the plate 3 on the twentyeighth day. The said arm 2| will therefore drop to pick up the pin 66 after one more revolution 1. e. on the twenty-ninth day. It will be clear that the spring tongue 30 will press down for three years and will be held up for the fourth year so that the complete sequence is obtained. The leap year ring 8 makes one complete revolution in twelve years and its step by step movement is effected by the arm 22 simultaneously with the change from December to January. The depths of the notches I5 is such that engagement of the free end of the arm 22 in any one of said notches does not allow said arm to drop sufiiciently far for its free end to engage in a notch 83. However, notch 18 is engaged for the December to January change by the arm 22, and said notch 18, being deeper than the notches l5, permits the fre end of said arm 22 to drop sufficiently to engage in notch 83 and therefore move the leap year ring 8 one step.

It will be observed that the mechanism herein described and illustrated is of a nature which allows for its easy manufacture especially by present day quantity methods, the parts are easily assembled and it can be fitted to a normal clock mechanism simply and easily. It will be understood that the actual position of the arm and 5 slots may be arranged where found most convenient and not necessarily in the positions shown. For example, the most rigid part of the plate 3, i. e., the part above the slot 9 would probably be positioned behind the arcuate slots I2, I3, I4 and I5 so as to give rigidity and support the rings on the hand setting of the device, it being understood that some suitable arrangement is provided for the movement of the discs other than the clock mechanism for initial or re-setting. Further, the length, width and curving of the spider arms may be varied to improve balance but these and. other points of a like nature do not alter the scope of this present invention. Other details, such as the gapping of the ends of the downward tongues on the arms where necessary to clear the rims or cams and the provision of spring tongues, e. g., tongues 3| which permanently press on the rings to maintain them on their positions also have not been detailed herein.

I claim:

1. A date indicating device comprising a rotatable date of the month indicating ring having the date numbers 1 to 31 spaced equidistantly therearound,a rotatable month of the year indicating ring disposed concentrically with respect to said first mentioned ring and having designations of the twelve months of the year spaced equidistantly therearound, an annular row of notches in each ring, a rotatable actuating memher for said rings to be rotated through one complete cycle during each twenty-tour hour period of time, said actuating member including a first arm having a nib for cooperation with the notches of said first mentioned ring and a second arm having a nib for cooperation with the notches of said second mentioned ring, a plate interposed between said actuating member and said rings and having a pair of slots therein one alined with the row of notches of said first mentioned ring and the other alined with the row of notches of said second mentioned ring, said plate preventing engagement of the nib of each arm with any notch of the related row except when the nib is alined with the related slot, means whereby each arm when its nib becomes alined with the related slot tends to project its nib through the related slot into operative engagement with a notch of the related ring, means whereby the engagement of the nib of said first mentioned arm with any notch of said first mentioned ring is limited to an angle of rotation of said arm corresponding to one thirty-first part of a circle so that said first mentioned ring is advanced one date step during each complete cycle of rotation of said actuating member, a depressible tongue on said plate for preventing the nib'of said second mentioned arm from being projected through its related slot except when said tongue is depressed, means whereby said first mentioned ring holds said tongue against depression until occurrence of the thirty-first step of advance of said first mentioned ring and then permits depression of said tongue to permit engagement of the nib of said second mentioned arm with a notch of said second mentioned ring, and means whereby the engagement of the nib of said second mentioned arm with any notch of said second mentioned ring is limited to an angle of rotation of said arm corresponding to onetwelfth part of a circle so that said second mentioned ring is advanced one month step for each cycle of rotation of said first mentioned ring.

2. A date indicator as set forth in claim 1 including a third arm on the actuating member for advancing the first mentioned ring, a projection on said first mentioned ring engageable by said third arm, depressible tongue meanson the plate controlled by the second mentioned ring and in turn controlling engagement of said third arm with said projection whereby plural steps of advance of the first mentioned ring are effected during a single complete cycle of rotation of the actuating member to compensate for the number of days in a month having lesser than thirty-one days when the second mentioned ring is in a position of rotation indicating such a month.

3. A date indicator as set forth in claim 1 including a third arm on the actuating member for advancing the first mentioned ring, a projection on said first mentioned ring engageable by said third arm, depressible tongue means on the plate controlled by the second mentioned ring and in turn controlling engagement of said third arm with said projection whereby when said second mentioned ring is in a position indicating any month having thirty days an extra step of advance of the first mentioned ring is effected during the thirtieth cycle of rotation of the actuating member to complete the cycle of rotation of the first mentioned ring, a third rotatable ring concentric with said first and second mentioned rings, means whereby rotation of said first and second rings to cause said second mentioned ring to indicate the month of February during a normal year rotates said third ring a predetermined amount, and

other depressible tongue means on said plate controlled by said second mentioned and third mentioned rings and in turn controlling engagement oi. said second mentioned arm with the projection on said second mentioned ring whereby when said second mentioned ring is in a position indicating the month of February in a normal year the twenty-ninth cycle of rotation 01 said actuating means during that month efiects two extra steps of advance of said first mentioned rin to complete the cycle of rotation of said first mentioned ring.

4. A date indicator as set forth in. claim 1 including a third arm on the actuating member for advancing the first mentioned ring, a projection on said first mentioned ring engageable by said third arm, depressible tongue means on the plate controlled by the second mentioned ring and in turn controlling engagement oi! said third arm with said projection whereby when said second mentioned ring is in a position indicating any month having thirty days an extra step of advance oi. the first mentioned ring is eiiected during the thirtieth cycle of rotation of the actuating member to complete the cycle of rotation of the first mentioned ring, a 'third rotatable ring concentric with said first and second mentioned rings, means whereby rotation of said first and second rings to cause said second mentioned rin to indicate the month of February during each of three successive normal years rotates said'third ring a predetermined amount, other depressible tongue means on said plate controlled by said second mentioned and third mentioned rings and in turn controlling engagement of said second mentioned arm with the projection on said second mentioned ring whereby when said second mentioned ring is in a position indicating the month of February in each of three successive normal years the twenty-ninth cycle of rotatibn of said actuating means during that month efiects two extra steps of advance of said first mentioned ring to "complete the cycle of rotation of said first mentioned ring, and means whereby rotation of said third ring in response to rotation of said second ring to indicate the month of February for the fourth time controls rotation of said first ring by said first arm so that the twenty-eighth cycle of rotation of the actuating means efiects three extra steps of advance to said first ring to complete the cycle of rotation of said first ring.

5. A date indicating device comprising a rotatable date oi! the month indicating ring having the date numbers 1 to 31 spaced equidistantiy themaround, a rotatable month oi! the year indicating ring disposed concentrically with respect to said first mentioned ring and having designations of the twelve months of the year spaced equidistantly therearound, an annular row of notches in each ring, a rotatable actuating member for said rings to be rotated through one complete cycle during each twenty-four hour period of time, said actuating member including a first arm having a nib for cooperation with the notches of said first mentioned ring and a second arm having a nib for cooperation with the notches of said second mentioned ring, a slotted plate having a depressible tongue, said plate being interposed between said actuating member and said rings and in conjunction with its slots and tongue controlling engagement of the nibs of said arms with the notches of said rings, means whereby the nib of said first arm cooperates with a notch of said first ring to advance the latter a single date step during each cycle of rotation of said actuating memher, said tongue when not depressed prevent ing and when depressed permitting engagement of the nib of said second arm with the notches of said second ring, and means on saidfirst ring controlling depression of said tongue so that said second arm operates to efiect a month step of advance of said second ring for each cycle of rotation of said first ring.

6. A date indicating device comprising a rotatable date of the month indicating ring having the date numbers 1 to 31 spaced equidistantly therearound, a rotatable month of the year indicating ring disposed concentrically with respect to said first mentioned ring and having designations of the twelve months of the year spaced equidistantly therearound, an annular row of notches in each ring, a rotatable actuating member for said rings to be rotated through one complete cycle during each twenty-four hour period of time, said actuating member including a first arm having a nib for cooperation with the notches of said first mentioned ring and a second arm having a nib for cooperation with the notches of said second mentioned ring, a third rotatable ring concentric with respect to said first mentioned rings, a

slotted plate having a plurality of depresslble tongues, said plate being interposed between said actuating member and said rings and in conjunction with its slots and tongues controlling engagement of the nibs of said arms with the notches of said rings, means whereby the first arm cooperates with a notch of said first ring to advance the latter a single date step during each cycle of rotation of said actuating member, said tongues when not depressed preventing and when depressed permitting engagement of the nib of said second mentioned arm with the notches of said second ring, and means whereby rotation of said first rin controls rotation of said second and third rings and depression of said tongues so that said second ring is rotated one month step for each cycle of rotation of said first ring and said first ring has imparted thereto a one complete cycle of rotation comprising a number of steps of advance thereof corresponding to the number of days in any month indicated by the second ring and whereof the final step of advance of said first ring is of an amplitude equivalent to the difierence between thirty-one and the number of days in the month indicated by the second ring.

THOMAS HILLS HARRISON. 

